About the cost of operating that truck convoy: Was it a political donation, and was it strictly legal?

I have questions about that massive truck protest convoy in south Edmonton yesterday, the one that tied up commuter traffic and prevented people from reaching Edmonton International Airport and just happened to take place at the same time as a visit to the neighbourhood by federal Opposition leader Andrew Scheer.

Some people will think me rude. I’m sorry about that, but inquiring minds need to know!

The first question is, how much did this cost? I’m not talking about the fuel wasted by commuters or the taxi bills run up air travellers, but the fuel and vehicle costs of the protesting truckers.

Another is, who paid for it? And another important one is, what was the real purpose of this motorized rally?

Given the average fuel economy recorded in Alberta for Class 8 diesel trucks like those used in the protest, the cost of diesel yesterday in Edmonton, and a conservative estimate of both the kilometres driven and the number of trucks involved, about the least that could have been expended on fuel costs for this protest was $70,000. In reality, the number was likely far higher.

According to the CBC and other media, more than 1,000 heavy trucks were involved. RCMP said the convoy – which at one point blocked all lanes of the highway southbound from Edmonton – caused “extreme traffic delays” in several areas near the airport.

Exactly where the massed truckers drove, or how far, isn’t entirely clear from news reports – which nowadays seldom provide answers to all the obvious questions. They certainly snarled traffic around Nisku, the industrial area south of Edmonton that is home to both numerous oilfield-servicing companies and the airport.

Late in the day, as truckers tried to slow traffic on Edmonton’s 77-kilometre ring road, organizers of the event claimed those snarls weren’t caused by their truckers, but by other truckers. Well, there’s no way to verify that claim, so let’s just accept it. Whoever they were, police directed big trucks off Anthony Henday Drive at some points. This had the effect of causing snarls elsewhere.

The purpose of the protest was supposedly to demand a pipeline to tidewater, immediately, thereby improving the fortunes of Alberta’s oil industry. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau seemed to be a popular target.

I have no doubt that many of the truckers involved are sincerely concerned about the state of the oil industry and its impact on their business. Still, notwithstanding the quality of political discourse in Alberta, this kind of protest doesn’t really make sense to achieve any gains on this issue.

The Trans Mountain Pipeline Expansion is stalled at the moment because of a court ruling, but even if it were proceeding apace, it would take several years to complete. So a protest of this sort might make sense if, say, the truckers wanted the government to end a tax on fuel or raise a speed limit. But how does this in any way advance the TMX Project?

St. Albert-Edmonton MP Michael Cooper (Photo: David J. Climenhaga).

As for Mr. Scheer’s involvement, he had a speech scheduled at the same time as the convoy at Ensign Energy Services Inc. in Nisku. “The convoy coincided with a meeting hosted by federal Conservative Party Leader Andrew Scheer,” was how the CBC put it, with admirable neutrality. (Emphasis added.)

Traffic was so bad, Mr. Scheer told the CBC, he had to walk the short distance from the airport – which didn’t seem to trouble him unduly. He professed to have felt “emotional” about the size of the convoy, although apparently not so emotional about the plight of the commuters stuck in the mess trying to get home or to the airport.

When he finally got to his meeting, Mr. Scheer said that when it comes to the woes of the oilpatch, “all it will take is for government to get out of the way of what hard-working Albertans have wanted to do for generations.” Which is kind of weird when you consider that during the decade the Conservatives were in power, no pipeline made it close to tidewater – and their hated Liberal opponents are the ones actually pushing one through.

Certainly Conservative MPs from around the Edmonton area knew all about their leader’s plans. “As I try to make my way to @AndrewScheer townhall in Nisku I am caught in middle of large convoy of oilfield workers,” Tweeted St. Albert-Edmonton MP Michael Cooper as he drove south from St. Albert. “Albertans have had enough of PMJT’s devastating anti-energy development policies & are taking to the streets literally show their disgust.”

Huh? This raises some interesting questions too. Was it just a meeting, or a political town hall? Were the organizers of the convoy in communication with the organizers of the town hall?

This is why the questions of the cost of the protest – fuel, the use of million-dollar vehicles and more – and who paid it are relevant.

Was there communication between the Opposition leader’s staff and the protesters?

Was the convoy in fact organized to bring publicity to Mr. Scheer’s visit to Edmonton and embarrass the prime minister?

Were the fuel and vehicle costs, which certainly run into tens of thousands of dollars, therefore political contributions?

Were the fuel and vehicle costs paid by independent protesting truckers, or by oilpatch employers? If my back-of-the-envelope calculation is right, it would cost about $2,000 to fill all the tanks on a typical Class 8 truck. That exceeds the legal annual federal political contribution by $500. Of course, most fully loaded trucks don’t fill their tanks to the brim – weigh stations, you know.

Just the same, if a fill-up were were paid by a corporation, and it is in fact a political donation, it’s flat out illegal.

So who paid?

Will there ever be an accounting for this by the Canada Revenue Agency? Highly unlikely.

Canadians have a fundamental right to protest. Sometimes protests slip into legally iffy areas. You know, like blocking traffic. It looks as if in this case the police took it pretty easy on the truckers who were intentionally snarling traffic.

Usually, I imagine, professional truck drivers aren’t all that sympathetic if other groups of protesters get in the way of their travel. So turnabout is fair play. Let’s all stay calm and reasoned, truckers, when some other group blocks a road you need to drive down.

And let’s take the same lenient attitude, police, in dealing with roadblocks created by protesters who don’t happen to be driving million-dollar trucks.

NOTE TO COMMENTERS: While the author of this blog is committed to free speech and is quite tolerant of the views expressed in its moderated comments section, commenters must actually make a comment on the matter at hand to be published. Simple abuse goes straight to the trashcan, as does any comment, no matter how thoughtful, containing the word “libtard.” For that matter, although there has never been an instance of this, the word “contard” will not be tolerated either, and if you write “retard” you had better be talking about the idle speed of your Class 8 truck. Otherwise, have at ‘er!

133 Comments to: About the cost of operating that truck convoy: Was it a political donation, and was it strictly legal?

David

December 20th, 2018

Breaker, breaker … we’ve got a political convoy here! It does seem to be a cordinated effort, much like the one in Grande Prairie. Funny how the UCP and the Conservatives seem to show up exactly at the same time as all these recent protests, that have been popping up like dandelions before election season.

Fortunately, I happened to be on the other end of the city where the rush hour traffic was not so bad. However, inconveniencing Edmonton coomuters does not seem like a good strategy to get support for ones cause. Personally, I much prefer the old strategy of waving signs by the side of the road and asking people to honk their support, but I maybe some politicians wanted more of a show of their power to provide an ego boost for the dear leader who happened to be on a rare visit to the city today.

I do know one person not inconvenienced at all by the traffic tie ups today – Prime Minister Trudeau, so it seems a rather ineffective way to get a message across to him, if that really was the purpose. I think the shock and awe campaign was more likely to try cow any reluctant Alberta voters to support the “right” parties. Perhap they are also trying to create a political bandwagon by giving the impression of a bandwagon.

One ironic unintended consequence of wasting all that fuel today, is a lot of carbon and federal fuel taxes will be collected tomorrow when all those people have to refill their tanks. I suppose it also sends a puzzling mixed message to the rest of Canada although I am not sure how much attention it really got – if times really are so tough in Alberta right now, how come all these people can seem to afford to waste all that fuel?

Darl

December 20th, 2018

The trucker alley was to show support for the 100 000 + out of work Albertans and was non partisan. It was nice to see one political leader leader who up, the convoy was open to all political stripes, if scheer showing up made Trudeau look bad that’s on Trudeau for not showing up, I seen some pictures with some antifa members wearing yellow vests as well attending under a common cause.

Kang

December 21st, 2018

I wonder how many of those trucks (and their owners) would actually see any work even if a pipeline to tidewater is built?

How many of them work in the drilling and fracking part of the industry? With over a quarter of a billion dollars of unfunded cleanup liabilities for abandoned wells and pipelines, no farmer or rancher in their right mind will ever willingly let a driller onto their land.

John

Kang

December 25th, 2018

John: I did say “in their right mind.” In other words prudent enough to understand their land is rendered sterile for production and much less valuable or even worthless for subdivision. When that unfunded reclamation liability doubles to around half a $ trillion in the next dozen years due to inflation, that will be more money than the Govt. of Alberta has collected and saved from oil since 1970. If you think anybody but the landowner will be responsible for cleaning up abandoned well sites, you have more faith in government than I do. Enjoy your Christmas.

John

December 24th, 2018

You mean other than the 50% our company is down? Wonder no longer. Every industry in Alberta is inter-related.

Jeff

February 19th, 2019

I’m going to assume you don’t farm, ranch, work in the oil field or have any pride in the amount of work that has been put into making this province successful. It only takes your narrow minded ideas to destroy it in a blink of an eye.

John

Dave

December 26th, 2018

Finally, someone that actually know what these trucks use. The guy that wrote this article pretty skewed. Sadly allot of people not in the industry will take inaccurate information as gospel. Maybe he should write a correction with real information not just his uneducated guess what do you think? What am I thinking news today isn’t about fact its more about agenda not facts or reality.

Linda

Jerrymacgp

December 21st, 2018

Don’t know about Nisku, but the Grande Prairie rally heard not only from the usual suspects from the Conservatives, but from NDP Cabinet Minister Deron Bilous.

My observations on this campaign were more along the line of, this isn’t the place to do this. Parading around oilpatch business clusters like GP or Nisku is not going to convince the justices of the Federal Court of Appeal, who put the brakes on TMX after they determined that the approval process to date was flawed and needed a do-over; neither is it likely to convince residents of Burnaby and the Lower Mainland through whose neighbourhoods the existing pipeline runs. Maybe these truckers should parade down the Lougheed Highway (BC #7) into Burnaby.

Jed

December 23rd, 2018

Wow from reading you liberal whining speech one might think your time to Wright this was paid for by your hero jackass Priminister and as far as blocking traffic what they gonna do arrest a few thousand truckers lmao good luck on that then you would whine because they wasted money doing that , to me you just sound like your feeling left out and wanted to be famous

Samson

Kim Johnston

December 20th, 2018

Have you been drinking too much grape Kool-Aid? You have no idea how the oilfield trucking industry operates. If an owner-operator was in this rally, then they paid the fuel bill. If a company had trucks in there then they paid it. Out of pocket. We are hurting and if there was that many trucks then those guys aren’t working. Because believe me if they had a job to go to yesterday they would be on that job. I have been the wife of an oilfield worker and trucker for 36 years and believe me they don’t pull any punches and don’t take stuff like this lightly. And who is feeding you the BS about not filling the fuel tanks? And far as the backed up traffic is concerned it’s a small price to pay. People need to get off their soapboxes and get with the real world. Alberta needs to get the oil to market so ALL of Canada can benefit.

Shaun Ell

December 20th, 2018

Exactly!!! Owner operator here…I lost my job earlier this month due to the latest downturn and I spent my OWN money, my own time to come out and support this extremely important cause! Yes there where major delays and likely some upset people but you can never make everyone happy, but I can guarantee we where heard loud and clear! And by all! The liberals are well aware of where we stand as Albertans!!! When we finally force out this corrupt destructive government and start to recover Alberta’s economy you can sure bet all those inconvienenced drivers will sing a different tune and all will be forgotten, this was a great cause and to be frank quite a site to see and experience! Everyone should be so lucky to of had a part in This!

Dave B

December 20th, 2018

As for supporting the conservative leaderSince the Liberals have no federal seats in the Edmonton area, they have none to lose in the next election. Likewise in all of Alberta there are only a couple of seats they can lose so why protest supposedly against the Liberals. Also since it is the courts that are holding up the pipeline it won’t likely influence the judges.

As for supporting the conservative leader, he already knows he has your support.

Trevor

December 21st, 2018

You say they know they have support from Andrew scheer, yet in the provincial election you got the complete opposite. Obviously this message was to the rest of Canada and especially Ottawa. I am sure there was people caught in delay honking their horns in support.

Coach Cal

December 26th, 2018

“Liberals have no federal seats in the Edmonton …” I guess you’ve never heard of Randy Boissonnault, (Edmonton Centre), or former Minister of Infrastructure and Communities and current Minister of Natural Resources – Amarjit Sohi (Edmonton Mill Woods).

Sohi was part of Trudeau’s “diversity because it’s 2015” cabinet. Under his watch as Minister of Infrastructure and Communities, Northern Gateway was shut down, Energy East was canceled and TMX was bought by the Liberals and expansion shut down by the SCC.

As Minister of Natural Resources, Canadian oil has dropped to near-record low prices…

Randy Boissonnault lives in the heart of socialist Edmonton and has a chance of being re-elected in 2019.

Sohi BARELY won his seat in 2015. He will be looking to return to his job a as a transit driver in 2019 …

Harry Chadwick

December 21st, 2018

Respect… I support your cause from Ontario as most sane Canadians would as the whole country is been destroyed under Liberalism and their NDP and Green helpers.
Europe is rising as they understand the dept of their sovernity been signed over to the UN by traitors.

George

December 22nd, 2018

Thank you for attending Shaun.

It was the greatest grassroots political protest Rally/Convoy ever held in Canada. That’s why the NDP & Liberal apologists are trying to diminish it. The impactful statement simply made by overfilling a 22 km route on less than 40 hours notice has both Rachel and Justin very nervous. I am proud to have been part of it. And for those thinking that we might be backing down because of the whiners, I simply say that the next Convoy I play a role in is going to be something garnering worldwide attention because of the pure joy demonstrated by those involved.

Kris

Mike

David Climenhaga

December 20th, 2018

From Alberta Transportation’s website: “The maximum weight allowed on municipal roads is 17,000 kg on a tridem axle. Permits may be available to exceed these weight limits, subject to municipal approval.” In the long-haul trucking industry, of which I have some knowledge, this sometimes requires that fuel tanks not be filled to capacity when carrying heavy loads. This may well not be the case for some oilfield trucks if they don’t carry cargo. DJC

Rocky

Bruce Paulson

December 20th, 2018

It certainly doesn’t take a full tank of fuel to drive a 22 kilometer loop! An empty bobtail rig could do more than 100 times that! They could idle around there all day and not burn a quarter of a tank of fuel FFS!

Dustin plomp

December 21st, 2018

Nah your wrong . You do not know the weights.
1 tandem drives 17000 kg
2 trident drives 24000 kg
When hauling heavy loads you may have to permit for excess weight , and only then if your over the maximum permitted weight would you run you fuel down a bit
Every gal is about 8 lbs , so if you have 300 gal capacity,and run at 150 you gain an extra 840 lbs .

Del

December 21st, 2018

How much money were you given by the Trudeau government to write such a satirical piece on a protest that ended up being cleaner than the anti pipeline protests?
Would you rather we’d set the town on fire like they did in France? This is the most horrible piece of journalism I’ve ever seen written in a democratic country. You’ve obviously shown your political agenda. I imagine you wrote this from city hall somewhere in Quebec. And when it comes to the costs someone as grown up and fossilized as yourself should know that those companies participating are either private or publicly traded and that it was approved by the people who pay the bills.
I sure hope I never have to read another anti western Canada rant such as this for the rest of my life and pray that not even the Liberal funded CBC will give you work.

Kelleigh

December 21st, 2018

I’m honestly shocked at your strange focus on who paid for this?! Every individual vehicle was driven and paid for by whomever owns the vehicle. People are mad and they came together to be heard. Are you telling me you weren’t able to investigate and figure out who organized it?! With respect do some digging before you write an article. The Yellow Vests organized this and the members paid out of pocket. Very simple.

John

Robert Dunne

December 22nd, 2018

40 years as a driver 15 of those as a owner operator and I have hauled tanks , equipment , Liquide and only twice did I load fuel lite // and for the record it take less than $1000.00 to fill a truck // although there are very few that carry more / Robert

Kris

December 22nd, 2018

This is your post.. I think “David” nailed it on the head. But just in case you are still puzzled.

Don’t think of it as a waste of people money, gas, fuel, time. It’s a protest. And a big one. And it stopped ppl in their tracks. And hopefully made them understand.
When u pass, 200, even 500 people on the side of the road, does it effect you in any way? Not likely. When u can’t get to where u want to go, does it effect you? Most likely.
Obviously it sucks, but sometimes being forced to open your eyes and really see the impact is what ppl need.

If the job you do can support yourself and your family with flying colours, and u can still put money away for a rainy day.. then the govt blocking u from working, just to give u a loan so u can live for a little while but it comes with a high interest rate, would u take it? Or would you want your job back? Or just be able to work again?

Whether we have pipelines to the ocean currently now or not. Matters not. But if every Albertan and many other Canadianss
Are working towards getting them there, then I guess that means we are working.

In answer to your comment about “too” much weight on the roads… really? That matters to you? So u drive a smart car, and everything u have is locally grown or made. Cause heaven forbid maybe a cpl trucks be side by side on the highway at the same time.. if we need new roads from the protest. Then good. One more thing we “can” do. Sometimes job creation is a good thing.

John

December 24th, 2018

We all have city of Edmonton permits allowing us our gross vehicle weight 46500-63500 kg in the city. I burned less than 60 litres of fuel for the day and I had trailers on. You haven’t a clue what you are talking about.

David Climenhaga

December 26th, 2018

Mr. Bleau: It’s true that I’m not an expert on axle weights. I was just going by what Alberta Transportation said. Thanks for the clarification. I’ll be sure to drop you a line next time I commentate on this specific issue, which, as you will recall, came up in a comment. As for the main thesis of my piece, it remains unchanged. Have a Happy New Year. DJC

David

December 20th, 2018

As the saying in politics goes – follow the money. I think we’re just trying to get a clear picture of who spent all the money on this. I understand the frustration about the delays with the pipeline projects, but if those projects were so simple and easy they would have already been built in the 10 years the Conservatives were in power Federally. I don’t think turning this issue into a big partisan attack against the current Federal government will help much, if at all to get a pipeline built. I think there is actually a risk that a lot of the negative stuff currently coming out of Alberta will backlash in other parts of Canada that might otherwise be sympathetic, as some of the people involved in this seem very focused on their narrow political or other agenda.

Brian

December 21st, 2018

I was in the convoy, I paid my fuel, it was only about 45-50 dollars of fuel. So i don’t know what your humming and hoing about. Figure it was double your figure of 70k; 140,000 dollars, quick math on 1000 trucks is 140 dollars. We might be hurting financially, certainly not doing as well as pre-Trudeau days, but everyone can still afford 140 dollars.

I also find it really pathetic to think that this demonstration had anything to do with campaign donations. Should we calculate wage expenses? Or lost profits for taking trucks off the road and diverting them to this demonstration? How hard do you want to work on trying to make it look like 1000 people busted the campaign donation limit? And for what purpose?

Trudeau had many tricks he could have used to persuade Horgan in letting the pipeline through. He rather spend time abroad donating money to everyone than dealing with issues at home. Thats why people are upset. If you can see that then your extremely disconnected from reality.

David

December 21st, 2018

Sure people are being riled up, I can see that. Yes two sucessive Federal governments have had a lot of problems on the pipeline issue, but when it turns into a rally for one and blaming the other this is where I see a partisan event. To be fair, maybe some who went didn’t realize they were being snookered into a partisan event until they got there,but I am sure the political organizers planned it that way from the beginning.

George

December 22nd, 2018

Thanks Brian. It was also a hell of a lot of fun to be able to spend part of a day with so many people who totally understand what so many hurting Albertans have been going thru. The venting was very therapeutic and much needed by some.

Northern Loon

December 20th, 2018

Can you imagine if a labour protest caused anywhere near the disruption this modern rendition of ‘Convoy’ caused? Andrew Scheer and Michael Cooper would be positively apoplectic at so much disruption and flaunting of public laws.

Lars

John

December 24th, 2018

That’s odd. I was there. I didn’t see any laws being flaunted. I paid my own Fuel. I think I pumped 60 litres. Oh yeah, and all my licenses and municipal permits are in order. DC doesn’t know what he’s talking about.

Briab Fornwald

David Climenhaga

December 20th, 2018

Briab: I just can’t understand it! I take the long icy walk to check my Stephen Harper Memorial Gang Mailbox daily, and still no cheque from the Justin Trudeau Media Slush Fund! What’s with the flippin’ delay? I am expecting at least a couple of hundred thousand dollars for my sterling efforts. What’s more – and this is even more shocking – my cheque from Mr. Soros hasn’t shown up either! DJC

bob

December 21st, 2018

Oh wow so you have the gull to draft drivel from your foaming soy mouth but didn’t take the hour to actually speak to a single yellow vest protestor did you? Did you know the protest isn’t just about a pipeline? YOU DIDNT!? That is because your a fucking jack ass and should shut the fuck up. *Big smiley* . We’re done with your fake news reports and opinion garbage.

Here is my opinion. You socialist communist that don’t even know history, have made easily the worst future imaginable for the children of Canada and the world.

You are the guys who attach the most moronic conspiracy theories together while claiming things like UN pedophilia is a conspiracy. Meanwhile the UN was caught with over 3300 pedophiles and 10000 rapes over ten years according to a former senior official and has been repeated by three other UN officials. Canadian UN senior official is under investigation for pedophilia. Trudeaus best friend from school ran an international pedo ring. We do not want to be in a UN pact with pedophiles.

Yellow vest canada is coast to coast, we have protested with over 12,000 people now and 3700 trucks and the garbage media has said nothing of honesty which you would know if you didn’t live in your basement jackass.

We had agent provacateurs making up trash and the media showing up with them to try and attach the movement to meth addicts and weirdos. If you are applying this opinion based on nothing other than how long it took YOU to get home… I think we know where this trash came from.

tom in ontario

December 20th, 2018

The blogger’s sarcasm below may or may not clarify the message. He publishes his opinion, his personal cash foots the bill. Occasionally non tax creditable donations may show up in his S.H.M.G. Mailbox.

Brian Gibbon

December 20th, 2018

Excellent points and questions, David, and ones that I wondered about too. I also wonder if the federal Elections Commissioner might have some insight into them, if that office was asked to look into this? I know that the new provincial Elections Commissioner here in Alberta is probably working overtime looking into numerous complaints that have been filed here regarding the goings-on of a certain (newish) political party and its candidates or wannabe candidates. It might be time to introduce the federal commissioner to whom I suspect may be some of the same actors or their associates.

Bill McDonnell

December 20th, 2018

This protest has absolutely nothing to do with federal elections commissioner but since you are on that subject why didn’t the elections commissioner investigate the millions of foreign dollars injected into the last election campaign. Why didn’t the elections commissioner investigate Tides Foundation and Lead Now organizations who have injected foreign money and people into our election campaigns. It’s not as if the commissioner is unware or not requested to take action.

On the topic of provincial elections commissioner in Alberta, perhaps this office could check into the 2 current MLA’s who have been accused of sexual misconduct. Don’t you think the public and the constituents need to know who and what this is all about instead of Notley trying to hide and bury these accusations. Many people have been forced to quit their job or have been dismissed over sexual misconduct allegations. Do these 2 NDP MLA’s have special privileges or rights?

Wade

Mike

December 20th, 2018

“Was the convoy in fact organized to bring publicity to Mr. Scheer’s visit to Edmonton and embarrass the prime minister?” It probably was David, but so what? As for embarrassing the prime minister, JT does it to himself almost every day, so no one needs to help him there.

The industry is pissed off and have had enough. It was their way of peacefully protesting and and good on them. Better this way, then what’s going on in France.

When the Alberta teachers walked off the job for 2 week back in 2002, that didn’t disrupt anything, did it??? Or when Canada Post recently did and my mail didn’t arrive for 2 weeks – no, didn’t bother me at all. Apparently non-union workers can organize themselves. Get used to it cause we’ll see more of this as people are pissed-off.

David Climenhaga

December 20th, 2018

Mike: Protests by any group in which the public is inconvenienced and labour disputes that inconvenience the public are not analogous. This is because labour relations in Canada by law is an adversarial system in which work stoppages of various sorts are enshrined as a way to resolve disputes. As inconvenient as labour disputes may be, the right of employees to strike to resolve labour disputes, and the right of employers to lock out their employees to achieve the same goal, are now enshrined in the Constitution by the courts. Governments have constitutional options to prevent such problems for the public while ensuring the orderly operation of the system: essential services laws, back-to-work legislation and compulsory arbitration to settle disputes when strikes and lockouts cannot be permitted. Arguably both postal services, regardless of the date, and the operation of public schools are essential services. In both cases you cite, a political choice was made by governments not to order an end to the strikes and resolve the disputes. You’ll notice that when such actions are taken by Canadian governments, striking union members comply with the law. I may have missed one, but I am not aware of a single case where a striking union in Canada refused to return to work after being ordered by a legislature. One of the impacts of this legal regime over time is that unions have been de-radicalized, becoming business and law focused entities and not a social movement. Yesterday’s protest, in my opinion, while not violent was legally far closer to “what’s going on in France” than what has happened in any recent public service labour disputes. Perhaps what is needed is a broad union for oilpatch truck drivers, which would protect their rights in their workplaces and protect the public through a law-based dispute resolution mechanism. Like trade unionists and B.C. environmentalists, they would retain their fundamental right to protest and agitate about issues outside their employment relationship – like the speed at which a pipeline should be built, and whether it ought to be. DJC

Mike

December 20th, 2018

David:

If a cheque I usually receive via mail comes late and I miss a payment, or I have to find full-day childcare in the middle of the school year because the teachers are on strike, or I get stuck in traffic on a Wednesday afternoon because of a convoy, it is ALL an inconvenience to me.

As for my “France” comment, yes they are similar. What I meant was it was peaceful and hopefully this sort of thing never gets violent. I was just commenting on how the oilfield is able to organize themselves quickly for a cause; just like farmers pulling together for a sick neighbour at harvest. That’s the Alberta way and that’s what makes this province so great.

Colleen

December 20th, 2018

You have the audacity to suggest “a broad union for oil patch truck drivers”? This is even dumber than wondering “who paid for the fuel, drivers, etc. for this large convoy”. About 95% of the energy industry was built by NON-union people (actually ANTI-union people) who were rewarded well for their hard work and efforts by great employers.

There is not ONE issue in regards to the energy industry problems that could be solved by forming a union – as if there’s not enough problems already! Justupid and his liberal minions need to get the hell out of the way and let us get back to work. We don’t need a damned union, we don’t need the pittance billion dollars of taxpayers money doled out from Ottawa this week and we don’t need opining over who picked up the tab for a few hours of large trucks and drivers bringing attention to the plight of Alberta businesses and their families. Albertans have paid their own way for decades and the owners of these “million dollar trucks” that were sent to Nisku and Edmonton will pick up the chump-change tab it cost for a few hours to get their message across.

Rocky

December 20th, 2018

Our host was being sarcastic or ironic or something. If you hang around here enough you’ll get used to it. You’re right, though. No union could save your jobs in a dying industry. No political party, can either. And blocking roads with your trucks won’t help. The petroleum extraction industry is done for and the only question is how long that will take. My guess is it’ll be quicker than any of us expect. Just wait till Trump’s gone and see what happens. All a union could do is try to ensure you’re treated fairly during the transition. Since that’s not what you want, so long and good luck.

Colleen

December 20th, 2018

Rocky Are you delusional or just been in the kool aid again? You and I will likely be dead and gone long before the fossil fuel industry is. We’ve all heard for years how “peak oil consumption” has been reached and yet, year over year, it continues to increase. Forecasts for the airline industry alone shows increased consumption of +20% from today through 2030. The entire world has been pouring it on in both exploration and production – except for Canada – and Trudeau has decided it’s just fine to sit this one out. Don’t even get started on electric vehicles, who’s volume of sales in the entire world is a drop in the bucket in the grand scheme of things. As for my union comments, I’d be in the same seat as the owner-operators of the oilfield trucks. People who are business owners, self-employed consultants, contractors, welders, etc. don’t pack union cards. No union, or government, for that matter, can do anything to save our businesses, nor do we need their intrusion. I have no problem saying that, when it comes to many business owners who have spent 25 or 30 years doing very well in the industry, we don’t really give a damn if we ever work again a day in our lives and can retire very well, thank you. I know a lot of trucks were sent to that rally in Edmonton yesterday who’s owners fall into the 1% category. What we do worry about is our employees and the well-being of their families. P.S. Let’s watch and see how well President Jerry Diaz and his UNIFOR union do to “help the transition” for the employees of the closing oGM plant in Oshawa.

GregH

December 20th, 2018

Colleen, maybe you should be wordering more about where the money goes when workers are affected by the downturn in oil prices. Because it’s certainly not going to workers. (I’ve been laid off three times before during “downturns”, and nobody saw the oil industry protesting, other than a few opinion articles about Pierre Trudeau & those eastern bastards.)

Harland Wolfe

December 21st, 2018

Colleen, Up until 1983, 85% of all construction work was performed by unionized labour. In 1983, the Alberta government under Don Getty enacted legislation that allowed contractors to lock out their workers for 25 hours and after that time bring them back to work at 50% of what they were making the day before. I know, I was there. Now, could you stand a legislated %50 wage cut? Also at that pont in time, a person could work 40 hours a week and support a decent lifestyle. Can the same be said today? Also, let us get into contract law. A unionized person has a contract with the employer laying out the terms and conditions under which work will be performed. If you are a gbusiness owner, a contract is agreed upon by both parties for the work. If the contract is not honored, you are entitled to sue for damages. Bill 101 was challenged in court and the courts sided with the government. This was the start of the destruction of the unions in Alberta. Of course there was much more involved and that legislation affects every worker in this province to this very day. Now, why should a worker be not allowed to have a contrct with an employer laying out the terms and conditions under which they will work? What would you do as a business owner if your client all of a sudden decided he wanted to pay half for the job after the contract was signed? And the government said “yeah, that`s ok by us?” So please, union labour built the backbone of this province and to disparage that is just wrong on so many levels.

Mike

December 20th, 2018

Heard you loud and clear? Which pipeline to tidewater did Harper build? Scheer doesn’t have the knowledge or ability to lead this country, maybe he is just too young? Remember that argument against Justin? Scheer is actually younger than JT was. Funny how that doesn’t matter.

The cons don’t have a chance in 2019. You should know that, Rona, Jason and just about every senior Harper MP knows that and have found other gigs.

What this cry baby truck parade did to advance pipelines is beyond me. Seems to me it is the liberal government that has invested in the pipeline and are working to twin the TMX line. Something Harper never did, even when oil was worth twice what it is now.

Dave

December 21st, 2018

In regards to the Harper bashing…
Northern Gateway – Killed by Trudeau and his ridiculous, one-of-a-kind tanker ban which only restricts outgoing tankers, not the ones that import foreign oil.
Energy East – killed by Trudeau by making the regulatory process an absolute mess, invoking new rules on Canadian oil that foreign imported oil is not subject to (namely downstream emissions which are ultimately out of the producers control). Actually no other industry in Canada is subject to those conditions either.
TMX – the original owners effectively run out of the country, left with the belief that they’ll never get to see it to completion. They actually were getting a bit of preliminary work done, but the failure of Trudeau to show them any kind of suppport in the face of foreign-funded protests led them to give up. Then as white knight Trudeau spends over 4 billion of taxpayer money to buy it (not including future construction costs), work almost immediately gets halted. Then he proceeds to take the most passive approach possible while still claiming he will see it through. There is not one oil patch worker in the prairies who thinks a shovel will go in the ground as long as Trudeau is in charge. If he really wanted it done he could proclaim it “in the interest of Canada” and push it through. But he won’t do that in an election year because he knows he will lose seats in B.C. over it, and mark my words, if he gets back in he won’t do it then either. He’s on record wanting to phase out Canada’s petroleum industry. He’s getting exactly why he wants now. The 80 million a day Canada is missing out on? Not important when you think budgets balance themselves, I guess.
So perhaps you can explain to the class exactly how this mess is Harpers fault again? If you’re saying the pipelines should have been built 5-10 years ago, back when Trudeau was still a drama teacher or ski instructor or whatever it is that made him qualified to run a country, I can agree with that sentiment, but that’s about as far as it goes.

Shaun

December 20th, 2018

There are SO many parts of this ridiculous article that are simply not true or straight up lies. For ONE the liberal government is not at all trying to get a pipeline to tidewater, as a matter of fact they are blatantly publicly doing the opposite!!! Energy east has not only once been quashed but any chance of revival shut down yet again by Quebec and trudeau so based on that comment alone you have ZERO credibility in my eyes and have no right to even further comment until you make even the slightest effort to educate yourself. People like you are the reason unethical corrupt government like we have now get into office in the first place.

Rocky

December 20th, 2018

If there are straight-up lies here, they’re that that the Liberals are trying to obstruct a pipeline to tidewater, that Energy East was shut down by either the Liberals and Quebec, and that the Liberal government, whether or not you agree with its policies, is corrupt and unethical.

Dave

December 21st, 2018

Northern Gateway was killed by a Trudeau tanker ban that no other country has, and only apples to an area that was to be used for outgoing oil. Doesn’t restrict any foreign oil coming in. That’s a fact.
Energy East was abandoned when the Trudeau regulatory process became such a mess that the company decided not to continue throwing bad money after good money when it was obvious it wouldn’t be approved. The main sticking point was the introduction of the company being responsible for downstream emissions, something no other industry in Canada is subject to, and something foreign oil coming into the country is not subject to. That’s a fact as well.
TMX is in limbo after The Trudeau government spent 4 billion + of taxpayer money (which doesn’t include future construction costs) to buy a pipeline that was intended to be built by a public corporation. That corporation came to the conclusion that they were unlikely to be able to get it built on time and on budget as long as the government was unwilling to show them any support in the face of foreign funded opposition. So they cut ties, and soon afterward construction stopped. Of all the tools at his disposal, including proclaiming it “In the interest of the nation,” the Liberals picked the longest and most uncertain path towards getting it built. Where the process goes is up in the air. That’s also a fact.
Bill C69 will be imposing more new regulations and a never ending circle of consultation to the process. It’s being introduced by the liberals and ultimately only affects 3 provinces. Companies are already on record saying if this goes through they won’t put any new investment into Canada. That’s another fact.

No straight up lies. No conjecture. Those are facts. So in the Liberal government obstructing a pipeline to tidewater? It’s pretty easy to look at those facts and come to the conclusion that they are. At the very least they’re not making any effort to get out of the way. Did the liberals and Quebec kill EE?? Absolutly, without question. Facts support that. Are they corrupt and unethical? Well, they are politicians, after all. Remains to be seen if they are more corrupt and unethical than any other politicians, but even the most steadfast Trudeau supporters have to be able to see that they’re not any better.

David Climenhaga

Dave

December 21st, 2018

Hey man, it’s your platform. I just figured since I was here, and I actually know my own industry rather than speculate on it from the outside looking in, I would just use it to rebut a few of the misinformed comments on here. But if my points are messing up your narrative, go ahead and censor my future posts. Would hate to let the truth get in the way of a good story.

Brogan

December 20th, 2018

You considered the conservatives/fascists honest and ethical then? You look at Doug Ford’s bloated bigoted ass and see a capable leader?
Right wing assholes never got refineries or that tidewater pipeline built because their paymasters in the oil industry didn’t want it. You’re a delusional corporate tool.

bob

December 21st, 2018

YELLOW VEST MOVEMENT IS NOT LEFT OR RIGHT OR CONSERVATIVE! Andrew Sheer showed up on his own because they are tracking out plans for protest. THEY are riding OUR COAT TAILS. The media like whomever wrote this, do not show to the events period and make up utter garbage. Does this author even know there is a manifesto of request against the government by the yellow vests or did they make up the most ridiculous shit I have read in years based no nothing…. absolutely nothing. Zero… Zilch. There was not a single fact or truth in any of it. I have been talking with the trucks you idiot. You just said the opposite of what 90% of them are saying. They do not like Sheer. They HATE THE CONSERVATIVES. It is your pompous ignorant attitude that makes you think we want one or the other. We want none of the above. Yellow Vests are for a new form of government, ground up, by and for the people.

It has filed lawsuits against the multiple parties and one of those are filed by the natives in Regina.

Shaun

Nicole

December 20th, 2018

You have a clear lack of understanding of both the issue and how government works. The courts are not the government, nor vice versa. When the court overturns a decision, the government has not control over that. They are separate entities, for good reason. The role of the courts is to be a neutral, third party that holds both the public AND the government to task. Reality is the Harper government accomplished nothing in regards to opening up new markets for Alberta oil. They were also instrumental in the reason why the courts overturned the TMX and Northern Gateway approvals. There is plenty I think that Trudeau and the Liberals have mishandled on this file, but they have put more work into it in three years than Harper did in ten.

Geoffrey Pounder

December 20th, 2018

As PM Trudeau tells it, building new oil pipelines is essential to any effective climate plan.
Buying pipelines outright is even better.
Albertans are doing their part by taking part in monster truck rallies.
The shrill, demented choirs of wailing engines.
Vroom, vroom.

Tracy

I concur with everything you said, as do most that actually know what has transpired with these so called protests

It was Harper and the conservatives that failed to build one inch of line to water in 10 years, not a single inch. An absolutely fail to the people of canada and the energy industry

Trudeau has accomplished more in 3 years than the Cons did in 10, we own the line and if not for that, it would never happen

Accolades to Notley and Trudeau on the implementation of the carbon tax as well. It is a fact that since we introduced ours, places like B.C took notice and their acceptance on the pipeline has increased drastically because of.

The key here is that these two governments acknowledge climate change and don’t call it a myth like Harper and Kenney have in the past.

This mess is a result of the Federal conservatives inabilities. Unfortunately the uninformed suddenly feel informed as they have a commonplace with people like Kenney and Scheer, it’s stupidity and an absolute lack of knowledge as what they’re protesting against is what is actually going to save the energy industry, thanks to Trudeau and Notley

The traffic caused a man to miss his flight to his mothers funeral in the U.k amongst other things, overall the majority of edmontonians were not impressed.

Colleen

December 20th, 2018

Another person who uses Liberals worn-out talking points to spin a tale.

Under the Harper Conservatives, there were FOUR major pipelines built: TransCanada’s Keystone pipeline (not to be confused with Keystone XL), Enbridge’s Alberta Clipper, Kinder Morgan’s Anchor Loop pipeline and Enbridge’s Line 9 reversal.

Today, there are 1.25 million MORE barrels of oil per day being shipped through these new pipelines, which were approved and built under the Conservative government. Unfortunately none of these new lines go to tidewater, but it will happen.

Harper also approved building the Northern Gateway pipeline, BUT, under the direction of Justupid Trudeau – “The Government of Canada has directed the National Energy Board (NEB) to dismiss the Northern Gateway Pipelines project application. The Government has determined that the project is not in the public interest….” Source: Government of Canada https://www.nrcan.gc.ca/energy/resources/

Now a cohort of First Nations have taken up a project application that is almost step for step the same route the Northern Gateway pipeline was going to take and for the sake of the entire industry, hopefully they will get their pipeline in the ground. “A First Nations’ led $17-billion project to build an oil pipeline from Alberta to the West Coast….” Source: business.financialpost.com/commodities/energy/first-nations-pipeline

Trying reading some facts to educate yourself as you sound quite illiterate on the energy industry.

Harland Wolfe

December 21st, 2018

Where ignorance is bliss, tis folly to be wise. Beware what the lame stream media and the Liberals feed you. So far, the Liberals have merely approved two pipeline upgrades. Under the Harper Conservative government, two entirely new oil pipelines were approved and actually built: The non-XL version of Keystone, from Alberta to Nebraska, approved in 2006, completed in 2010; and The Alberta Clipper, to Wisconsin, approved in 2008 and active in 2010. The changeover in Line 9 taking oil west to east was also approved and activated under the Harper Tories. In total, Alberta got an added 1.25-million barrels a day worth of pipeline capacity under the last government.
The Liberals will add just half that much — 600,000 barrels — with the approval of Trans Mountain’s expansion. That’s if it actually gets built in the face of so much protest. You see, under the Tories, Northern Gateway, worth 500,000 barrels a day, was also approved, but the Liberals caved to protests and cancelled it. The Liberals have also added new regulations on upstream and downstream carbon emissions that make it nearly impossible to get any new pipelines built. The regulatory framework was the reason that Trans Mountain backed out of the TMX project. It became cost prohibative. Trudeau, knowing that he had a near revolution on his hands, as well as some lobbying by Notley (I will give her credit for that one but she also does not want to be one and done in Alberta) bought the pipeline only to appease the restless natives. The Feds have legislative authority to push through any project that is in the best intrest of the nation and could do so. They are hiding behind the supreme court and regulatory bodies to keep from doing that. Shovels in the ground by last June or July they said but oooops, up pops another challenge to the pipeline by the courts saying native bands needed more consultation on the matter. This was no doubt spearheaded by an extremely powerful radical environmental lobby, either Green peace or more likely Tides Canada which is not funded with domestic dollars. Rather, these entities receive millions from California Liberal billionaires intent on keep Canada out of the international oil market. If you have your head in a Liberal controlled media bubble, you would not know this.
Oh, did I bother to mention that foreign funded organizations also pored millions into the campaign to get Trudeau and Liberals elected? As they are not direct contributors to the Liberal party, they get around the campaign contribution and finance laws. Search out Lead Now.
Now as far as your absolute belief in climate change, I am going to leave you with these little tidbits:
In 1996, former Soviet Union President Mikhail Gorbachev emphasized the importance of using climate alarmism to advance socialist Marxist objectives: “The threat of environmental crisis will be the international disaster key to unlock the New World Order.”

Speaking at the 2000 (((United Nations))) Conference on Climate Change in the Hague, former President Jacques Chirac of France explained why the IPCC’s climate initiative supported a key Western European Kyoto Protocol objective: “For the first time, humanity is instituting a genuine instrument of global governance, one that should find a place within the World Environmental Organization which France and the European Union would like to see established.”

Also speaking at the Rio conference, Deputy Assistant of State Richard Benedick, who then headed the policy divisions of the U.S. State Department said: “A global warming treaty [Kyoto] must be implemented even if there is no scientific evidence to back the [enhanced] greenhouse effect.”

So you see, the whole climate change agenda is not about the environment, it is about control with the UN being the head of the snake. But MUH Science you say… Bought and paid for and agenda driven.

bob

December 21st, 2018

I have been at the protests. They have very little to do with a pipeline and more to do with loss of sovereignty, borders, democratic right to free speech, carbon tax, the UN pact, working with a known pedophile group, breach of international treaties and agreements and what is now looking like a legal dictatorship. They will keep pretending it is something else though.

Andy Marshall

Political Ranger

December 20th, 2018

I’m reminded of a story about an emperor and his/her new clothes, perhaps made from latex. No one is willing to call out the facts of this matter. Not the PM, not the Premier, not any of the whacko politicians on the right and certainly not any of those oh-so-hard-done-by petro-workers who are not receiving their 6-figure wage anymore.
The petroleum business, as we know it, is done for; it’s the very definition of a sunset industry, Now, there will always be a petroleum production industry; it’s just a too valuable resource for a modern economy to leave behind. And I’m pretty confident that there will continue to be 1 or 2 mining operations in the tarsands regardless of how incompetently Albertans and their governments manage the resource. But the production levels and the employment numbers are on a permanent downward slide.
Git over yerselves!

I know what’s its like to have an industry lose legitimacy all around you. If the decline in demand doesn’t get you then the automation will. I’m not in favour of throwing the unemployed to the curb. But there is no replacement of a 6-figure job for a grade 10 dropout. UI is a bitch! But it took care of a lot of people till they could get back on their feet.
Nor am I in favour of spending $billions on corporate handouts but that’s what seems to happen anyway.

Petroleum production is a dying industry and will resize to a much smaller sector of the economy. If people want to continue in the petro-biz there is a quarter $trillion cleanup job needing to be done. That at least will do some good as it employs thousands and detoxifies millions of poisoned hectares.

Nicole

December 20th, 2018

You are absolutely correct. My husband is in the industry and has seen the writing on the wall for years. Unfortunately, the majority are like the owner of the last surviving Blockbuster, desperately trying to cling to legitimacy while ignoring the fact the world is moving past them.

GregH

December 20th, 2018

Eventually we’re going to move from a petroleum industry based on short-turn profits from selling fossil fuels to burn, to an industry based on feedstocks for making stuff out of plastics. Those getting rich off selling Alberta’s heritage for quick bucks won’t like that either. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

John

Frankly, I’m surprised Trudeau even comes to Alberta as he could walk on water and only get a couple votes.

But he does come here and he has done more for the O&G industry than Harper has in his nearly 10 years at the helm.

I’ve lived in Central Alberta for 29 years (via Saskatchewan) and it is my opinion that 45 years of right wing rule has assimilated the Albertan mind into believing anything Liberal is anathema and Trudeau is the second coming of Lucifer.

That he actually pays more attention to Albertans than Harper did is a dissonant noise in the background they don’t need to pay attention to.

John

Dave

December 21st, 2018

Trudeau does have balls coming to Alberta with a track record and last name like his, I’ll give you that.

But maybe you could clarify all the good he has done for Alberta? I’ll admit these pipelines should have all got started under Prime Minister Harper. But it was Trudeau who killed Northern Gateway by imposing a one-of-a-kind tanker ban on outgoing oil. It was Trudeau who Killed Energy East by subjecting Canadian oil to regulations no other industry, nor foreign oil imports, are subject to. And it was Trudeau who spent 4 billion for a pipeline that was supposed to be twinned, just to see construction get halted, then sit back and choose the longest and most uncertain path to resuming construction that was on the table. Basically the only option better than admitting he is shutting the project down himself. Oh, and it’s Trudeau who introduced the bill that will make it impossible to build a pipeline in the future.
Want to know why Albertans vote conservative? It’s because we still take pride in going out every day and putting in an honest days work. We still believe that our blood, sweat, and tears should be more than enough to put food on the table. We don’t want handouts. We want to get the product we have been blessed with, a product we produce better than anyone else in the world, out to a world market that continues to demand more. A market that gladly gives money to countries that don’t care about the environment or the people doing the labor, because they demand the product. We vote conservative because we are already the most regulated country in the world when it comes to oil and gas. Putting more regulations in, ones that will put a stake in the heart of our province, is bad for the country and quite frankly, bad for the environment on a global scope. We vote for the people who want to see us succeed, not the people who want to see us with our hands out like most other provinces. We’re too proud for that.

Bruce Anderson

Farmer Brian

December 20th, 2018

I have various thoughts on this topic. First I would like to congratulate all those truckers that took part in the convoy, the size of this demonstration certainly shows the level of desperation that exists in the oilfield in Alberta. I think David your point of view on this topic is certainly different than mine. The federal Liberal’s Bill C-69 in my opinion is a bad piece of legislation. The final decision on any proposed project rests in the hands of the environment minister of the day with this legislation. So really the decision is politically instead of technically based. I also believe eliminating the NEB and moving its headquarters to Ottawa is a bad decision. Trudeau ran on a platform that the NEB was flawed and did his best to discredit it. For those that believe he bought Trans Mountain to complete the pipeline I am not convinced. I believe he bought it to buy time until the next election after which time he will decide whether or not to build it if he is re-elected. Getting back to the convoy, those in the oil patch certainly have my support and I was certainly cheering them on. Enjoy your day.

Farmer Dave

December 20th, 2018

I’m wondering where this convoy was when the great Ralph was privatizing various Government Agencies in the 90’s. I was part of that deal and Ralph sold it to Albertan’s (pennies on the dollar) as saving money for the Government. He latter was held to account and admitted it was only a philosophy that privatizing saved the Government money, it did not.

Rember that Petro Canada was totally owned by the Federal Government and the private sector companied that Petro Canada had an unfair advantage and all those convoy protesters wanted privatization. Well the Government privatized Petro Canada and look where the convoy is now………no more boom dollars coming into their pockets, why are they asking for Government help? The convoy needs to understand they aren’t the only ones who hurt, everyone can go through bad times so I’m wondering when did the convoy help other people with their jobs such as employees at Sears?

`Dustin

December 20th, 2018

1- There is no way that our govt. could organize such a rally and come up with some sort of system to pay for each trucks time and fuel, IN JUST 2 DAYS. Not possible. It would take our govt. 6 months to organize a gang bang at a brothel.
2-I know people that were part of this, it was most definitely spur of the moment because all these people are sitting around anyways, not because they don’t have job or don’t want to work, its because there is no work for them!
3- No, nobody paid for the time to run these trucks, these trucks start at probably $100/hour and some of the equipment I seen would prob run $500+ ….. But obviously they are not working because there is no work for them. Everything is at a standstill, the oil companies have said dont spend money. Period. If everything was running as it should, 90% of these trucks would be out working, making a bunch of money for companies and wouldnt have time to protest.
4- This protest was to get people attention, and i’d say it worked. Read the signs. What would you expect them to do to make the protest more relevant? Dump Barrels of oil on the ground because its virtually worthless right now anyways? Give your head a shake
5- Oh no, your 20 minute commute took 2 hours, boohoo, what a mild inconvenience compared to the literally thousands of people out at the protest, not just because they believed in it, but because they want to get back to work. The government has been dicking around and dithering over this whole pipeline thing for so long and trying to appease both sides of the table at the same time that they ended up running off the company’s that was going to pay to build these themselves, and then ended up buying one!!! and now we still have to build it!!! With our own money!!! And this is everyone money, mine, yours, your moms….. everyone’s. But not that long ago there was a company that was going to do that all for us and wouldn’t cost us a dime.

Curtis

Jim Stoetzel

December 20th, 2018

I suppose you have the right like many Canadians do to voice your opinion. My question on your article on Mr. Sheers visit is. Are you Liberal, are you getting funding from Mr Trudeaus 600 million theft from tax payers to but the media?

Whopper

December 20th, 2018

LMAO… The Liberal nut job koolaid is strong with these followers in here… its scary to think people actually believe Trudeau has done anything good for Canada.. talk about a special kind of stupid. Don’t worry boys and girls….. Trudeau ish out next election.

David Climenhaga

Nemo

The only thing you’ve succeeded in is failing at most of your career choices.

Journalism quit in a huff… politics… failed to get elected. Union communications, I can’t comment on but you do fit the Bs meter required to be one.

This article is 100% garbage and that’s being kind. Your attempts to infer some motives or belief that businesses would actually allow their equipment and people to participate in the convoy is humourous. We are raising awareness of the industries displeasure with the federal and provincial governments pathetic level of support.

Your infantile comments on the protestors actions requires a rebuttal. There were no arrests, no illegal actions, no blockades of roads, no-one tied themselves to bridges, trees, or personal property. When your preferred protestors can do the same, then you can feel free to speak on the convoy.

Otherwise you are irrelevant to the conversation except with other left wing ndp sycophants.

Mr. Sauvé

December 20th, 2018

Next stop Parliament Hill. It might piss off commuters but at the same time they should be happy these are peaceful protests. Nobody was hurt. No vehicles were burned. No property damaged. At most it was a minor interference in some peoples day to day life. Most other people on the road were probably proud to have joined this movement. I find it very disheartening that everybody(also known as the majority) has to dance around gingerly to please the few. This country is almost in ruins. Its time to take a stand and MAKE CANADA GREAT AGAIN.

Len Exner

December 21st, 2018

And is someone going to calculate the cost of the journalists union who have committed to support PMJT in the upcoming election on a national scale. Or the costs of Jane Fonda, Leonardo Decaprio, Neil Young and other Hollywood celebs who have flown to Alberta and helicopter rides to Fort McMurray in support of the ndp and libs. Rationalize that jerk!

Kim

December 21st, 2018

I don’t even know where to begin. It’s very odvious that you are for Trudeau, support Saudi Arabia, Iran just to begin. And maybe you should really consider moving to one of them places. I have had family and friends who fought for our freedom and rights and it will be a cold day in hell that I will ever support Trudeau or any of the shit he’s been pulling off on Canadians since becoming prime minister. For you to make comments about who paid for fuel well it certainly wasn’t you or Trudeau. You should be ashamed of your self on every shape, way and form for support Trudeau and his fucked up ways. People like you are a discrase to our country and to the thousands of people who gave their live up for our freedom, our rights, our country.

Gerard

December 21st, 2018

David,

We all donated our time and equipment for this RALLY/CONVOY. Not one penny was raised for this event.

Secondly, this was not a “Protest”. Please stop calling it that. We had a Rally and a Convoy. The fact that Andrew Scheer was in town the same time was purely coincidence. We never planned it. We never coordinated with his people.

We were out raising awareness for Canada’s Energy Sector. We are showing support for Oilfield Workers from all over Canada who are struggling. We want to make our voices heard. We want pipelines built! We want our jobs back, sir.

Gary Mitchell

December 21st, 2018

Your suggestion that this was in any way a political campaign is ludicrous. Andrew Scheer took advantage of the opportunity to stand in support for the industry. Mr. Trudeau could well have made an appearance had he chosen to do so. Rachel Notley could have attended as well. Ms. Notley is more than familiar with pipeline protests, as a member of the Tides funded campaign against Alberta’s Oil for the Sierra Club.

Jenn

December 21st, 2018

Some of the comments here about loosing 6 figure salaries and having a grade 10 level education are really out of touch with what us oil field workers have to sacrifice in order to obtain a better life for us and our families. Working 12 hour shifts months on end in -40 weather doing very high risk jobs is just the start, sorry you can’t accomplish anything with your 36.5 hour work week and your liberal arts degree. I tried the whole university bulshit and all it does it put you in debt while coming out to make minimum wage or just above. These people are far from stupid, as for the convoy we paid our own gas as did everyone else we met there.

I embarrassingly voted for JT thinking he’d bring new life into Canadian politics and for the love of god watching him speak and never directly answering questions and traveling to other countries (India fiasco) makes me cringe beyond belief. I don’t know how anyone could observe him and think he’s a good leader when all he has done is divide this country.

Steve boudreau

December 21st, 2018

As someone who was supposed to be in this rally, but was lucky enough to get a job called in late the night before, I can assure you, my company paid out of pocket to show up, fuel and drivers wage. Everyone is trying to get the message out that we need action from our useless governments before it’s too late.

Rocky

Steve

December 21st, 2018

I see enough commenters have pointed out you obviously understand very little of what’s going on outside of your little echo chamber that it doesn’t need repeating. Every truck, unit, rig, in that convoy was paid for by the private owner or the company that owned the vehicle. Why not try writing something useful instead of trying to drive a further wedge into the divisive politics of the Mincing Nitwit.

J.E. Molnar

December 21st, 2018

OMFG!

By all accounts, you really pushed some serious rage buttons here David. All these hair-on-fire conservatives, visiting your site (probably for the first time) to post vitriolic comments and defend truckers behaving badly. People, who would otherwise be averse to and ignore your cogent, logical, principled blogger discussions, have magically appeared out of a blue conservative cult-like haze — ready to engage. Why? Now that’s worth an investigation on its own. BTW: Keep up the good work!

Nemo

Cogent, logical and principled discussion…. was there a single word of any of that in climenhaga’s blog?

I know from seeing your posts on the Edmonton journal, that you are a partisan NDP supporter regardless of the issue. You rarely make a cogent, or logical point there either.

I’m a fiscal conservative and socially liberal person. I can’t support the NDP though because their policies in relation to the economy have been colossal debt that’s been racked up and the pandering to unions during the election and afterwards is unacceptable.

The few things that Notley has done from a social aspect that I admire do not make up for the more important issues for me. If you want to look at it through your orange coloured glasses, then go ahead, as you are nothing but a ignorant partisan lemming. ( as is climenhaga the political failure who writes an opinion blog. He really no better than the rebel, just the left wing version of Ezra levant….)

Hana Razga

December 22nd, 2018

I could almost believe somebody lead them here to rant and rage…..? Never seen so many commenters here before. These are probably the same people who would complain about the bike protests, where a few bikes block a road for a short while.

Brian Spofford

December 21st, 2018

I think you need to get your head out of the sand there Alfalfa and look at the entire picture! I have a couple questions for you. Answer them if you think you are able.
1. How do you get to work and back home, go shopping, on holidays?
2. How do you heat your home, apartment?
3. How does your office get heated?
4. Where do you think the money to pay your wage comes from?
If you can answer you walk to work, heat your home, office with wood/coal or that your employer doesn’t pay you then you can criticize the people who are protesting about wage cuts, lack of work.
This Prime Minister stated the a deficit budget would balance its self.. he’s apparently never had to balance household expenses or tried to run a business? In fact hes an entitled little rich kid who’s father darn near wrecked this country when he was leader.
Primer Notley is just now seeing what the oil sector in this province means in revenue generated and its too late for her to reverse the damage she has done when she sided with the Federal government after taking power several years ago.
Those questions i put to you are ones that everyone opposed to the pipeline or the oil sector should be asking themselves!
Wake up Canada and stop trying to kill the golden goose!

Dave

December 21st, 2018

If I may, I would like to clear up a few things about this article, because the author is clearly somewhere in between not understanding the point of the rally, and actively trying to smear those involved.
First and foremost, Andrew Scheer was scheduled to speak before The Rally was organized. The Rally was set around his speech, not the other way around. In fact, it was organized in a mere handful of days, because of Mr. Scheer’s presence. It’s not a coincidence. It was planned to show a high ranking individual in Ottawa the frustration within this industry. If some other important politician of any party had been speaking, I have no doubt the rally would not have changed. In fact, I’m confident that if Trudeau has been there, it would have been twice as big.
Speaking of size, organizers estimate the number to be more like 2200 trucks. Not 1000. Even rounding down to 2000, that’s a significant difference from what the CBC is reporting (I’m actually a little shocked that the JTBC reported on it at all. At least they pretended to try). And fuel costs wouldn’t have been nearly as high as you claim. There is a big difference between driving highway speeds, loaded, for 77 km, and driving in second gear, most likely empty, for 77 km. A well-educated guess leads me to believe fuel costs would have averaged somewhere around $150/truck for the rally. Well below the political donation threshold. Perhaps some companies would try to claim it, and if they do, that’s something they would probably consult with their accountants first. I would venture to bet it never even crossed the minds of most of the business owners that it was even an option.
As for wages, if the larger companies were willing to pay employees to go, good on them. I’m sure not going to be the one to shame them for that. But again, I’m pretty confident when I say that most were there on their own time. Obviously with their companies blessing, which allowed them use of the trucks. But it’s the slowest December many of us have seen in decades, and that includes the 14-15 recession, so it’s not like the people at The Rally had much else going on.
Which brings us to your lack of understanding on the purpose of the protest. Sure, it’s about TMX. But it’s much more than that.
It’s about Trudeau’s tanker ban off the northern BC coast, the only one of its kind in the world, which killed Northern Gateway. Does it restrict any tankers bringing foreign oil into Canada? No, it only restricts tankers that would take oil out. That’s why there’s no tanker ban around Vancouver or on the East coast.
It’s about Trudeau regulating Energy East into the ground, slapping the pipeline company (Canadian company, no less) with new regulations in which they are held responsible for emissions AFTER the oil has been loaded up and shipped away. No other industry in Canada is subject to anything close to that. What’s worse, foreign oil imported into Canada is exempt from those regulations. Only Canadian oil, which is already produced to the highest environmental standards on the planet, gets blamed for what the customer does with it. Did I mention that 90% of the pipeline already exists and would be merely repurposed?
It’s about C69, which will bring about new regulations to the oil and gas industry and a never ending circle of consultantion. Major companies have already stated that if it goes through, their days putting money into the Canadian economy are finished. This bill is driving away the investment we all rely on to feed our families and fund our social programs, and it’s dangerously close to being pushed through and adding another nail to the coffin on one of Canada’s most important industries.
It’s about being unable to get a fair price for our oil. The inability to relieve the supply glut has led to our product being sold for approximately $10-$12 a barrel. By comparison, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Venezuela, the US, and all other countries, which don’t have anywhere close to the worker or environmental regulations we do, are getting $50-$70 a barrel. Canada is losing $80 million a day because of this. That fact alone should be enough to make people across the country angry and spur some action from the government, yet so far nothing is happening. Meanwhile, global demand continues to increase and is projected to for decades, so customers go to those countries that don’t give a damn about the environment and get oil from them instead. Climate change is a global issue, so remind me again how this is helping? It causes more harm than good when viewed from a global stage.
And yes, it’s about TMX. Trudeau could have thrown a little support behind Kinder Morgan and let the pipeline corporation build the pipeline and saved the taxpayers $4 billion (that’s just for the old pipeline, not the new twin). But he let things get to a point where they also felt they could never get it done on time or on budget. So he rode in on his white donkey and saved the day. Except for one thing: as soon as the sale went through, work got stopped. Did he proclaim the project “in the interest of the nation,” which is within his authority to do? No. Did he appeal the decision? No. What he did was choose the longest and most uncertain path, one which all but guarantees no shovel will hit the ground before the next election. You would be hard pressed to find a hundred people in Alberta with any kind of knowledge of the situation who believe construction will ever restart so long as he is in charge. After all, he campaigned on phasing out Alberta’s petroleum industry. Viewed through that lens, he’s well on his way to getting what he wanted all along.
So you see, the issue runs a little deeper than what you’re reporting. Many of your faithful backers are quick to proclaim “Harper never built any pipelines either” and this is true. This is something even the most steadfast Harper supporter must acknowledge, that he never got any pipelines built. But he never made a point of killing any of them either, and therein lies the difference.
Finally, you make some notes on the legality issues and inconveniencing that The Rally caused. Simply put, oil and gas workers have dealt with these protests both directly and indirectly for years. Whether it’s the protest camps keeping construction workers from getting to their jobs, or protesters shutting down NEB hearings because no one can hear what is being said, Albertans have tried to turn the other cheek, get back to work, and let the system run its course for years. But it’s not working. It’s been proven that these groups are largely funded by foreign groups with a vested interest in keeping Canada out of the oil game (only Canada). There are no consequences for these groups either; Elizabeth May can get arrested, get less than a slap on the wrist, and not even lose her seat in parliament.
One thing I will say is that most of Alberta already agrees with us; it’s the people in Ontario and Quebec that need this message brought to their doorstep. Don’t worry though. Its coming.
We’ve tried being peaceful. We’ve tried having informed, rational conversations. We’ve tried opening peoples eyes to the true facts about our industry. None of it is working. It’s become clear there is no common ground to be had. And we’re fed up. The Rally inconvenienced you? You missed a flight or were late to get your kids? Welcome to the fight. Many of us are out of work; many others are living month to month after our savings have run out. You have a choice: join us, make our voices heard, get us back to work so we can all share in the good times. Or join those who oppose us, stand in our way, and learn what happens when good people grow tired of being demonized for daring to earn a living. Just know, a lot of us have nothing left to lose. The sidelines are no longer an option.
Hopefully this helped paint a little more more of a clear picture of what is going on in Alberta and why. Next time, feel free to do a little research on both sides before you post.

Dave

December 21st, 2018

Edit: I was mistaken on one point, that Harper never got any pipelines built. He did, in fact, get 4 built, largely to the US. However, he was unable to get the necessary tidewater pipelines built. But as I have said, there is a big difference between being unable to build them and actively killing them.

David Climenhaga

December 21st, 2018

This, however, is an important distinction because the need – by the industry, all Alberta parties except maybe the tiny Greens, the federal Conservatives, and many commenters to this post – has been framed as the need for a pipeline to tidewater. DJC

Steve Bennetts

December 21st, 2018

This has to be the most biased piece of drivel I have ever read in my entire life. The convoy was and is a protest against a government whose policies are destroying Alberta and this is the tone taken? Pretty sad and as I said, incredibly biased. Justin Trudeau “Seemed to be the target”? DAVID CLIMENHAGA you are delusional or trying to cast protest in a very negative light – either way, I have no respect for your spin and can see it for the hack hatchet job it is. Please go away and leave journalism to those who understand it’s principles. Propaganda, we have enough of and so much better hidden than the agenda behind this useless piece of drivel.

Tanya Plager

December 21st, 2018

Heartless & callous journaling! Absolutely NO grasp on the gravity of the situation! Also, NO ONE KNEW the convoy would go farther than Nisku! It was combined effort by many through the communication over the CB radios– during the tour around Nisku– to take it where it would matter (instead of the industrial part of Nisku) & ACTUALLY get people’s attention!!!

We are showing power on behalf of the people not any government! Although It was amazing & very much appreciated that Andrew Scheer happened to be there & borrowed a truckers radio to show us his support, he was not why or how this convoy was conducted! And Trudeau, was inconvenienced? Oh, wow, well there’s some news!!!

Sooo much incredible support was displayed by many passing vehicles & many even joined the convoy!!! Such an amazing day & I will never forget! SO proud to be Albertan & most importantly CANADIAN!!! I’m sorry if some were upset but this NEEDS to happen!!! Time to WAKE UP PEOPLE!!! OUR Country is at HUGE RISK!!!! #YellowVestsAlberta #YellowVestCanada #WWG1WGA ✊

Curtis

December 21st, 2018

This ‘commentary’ is total unrelatable drivel. Nothing about it makes sense. Why all the misdirection? The trucks are of people sitting because there is no work BECAUSE OF the current provincial and federal government. The people paid for their own fuel which let’s be realistic was probably 50 bucks to mostly idle for the time they did. This article misses the point on just about everything it tries to discredit, showing how out of touch you lefties actually are. Put some support behind the very thing that literally makes your life possible, or stop being a troll at the very least.

Markham Hislop

David Climenhaga

December 21st, 2018

Sound analysis, Markham, and of course true. Arguably, this is exactly what got us to where we are now – a pipeline bought and certain to be completed, $1.6 billion in additional federal subsidies for the industry – so it would have seemed treasonable to contin ue this approach and plead for improvements, instead of switching to all-invective, all of the time. DJC

Dale lundquist

December 21st, 2018

This has to be the stupidest article I have read all year. It is full of errors and shows you know absolutely nothing about what you are writing about. You are completely out of touch with the reality of Albertans. My god, who paid you to write such drivel? Are you going for your share of Trudeau’s bribe of $600 million taxpayer dollars? The whole theme of your article is absolutely ridiculous . I participated in the nisku rally and I, like everyone else paid their own way, unlike people like you.

Angela

Todd Smith

December 22nd, 2018

Yeah let’s do that. While they’re at have them investigate Tides Foundation and other related groups funneling FOREIGN funds to interfere with Canadian Elections.
Writer should at least have some facts before perpetrating a bunch of BS.
Vivian Crause has followed the money, obtained documents and provided all this info to Elections Canada. Where’s the action.
Hypocritical are we?

Karlee

December 22nd, 2018

I definitely support the cause behind this rally, just perhaps not the execution. Truthfully, commuters and airline passengers were not the only ones “inconvenienced”. I know with certainty, that patients were attempting to make it to medical treatments in time, and were stuck in that mess. I can’t help but wonder if anyone thought about the fact that these highways can literally be a lifeline for Alberta patients who are in emergency need of hospital care. Ambulance or no, this would have made for a slow trip to get the care needed.

martin

December 23rd, 2018

2000$ of fuel per truck? how stupid are you? to drive around Edmonton. Thats 2000litres! David, you lack real world experience to give your opinion on this subject. Whatever fuel they used is pennies when compared to day-to-day operations. The livelyhood of your friends and neighbors is on the line and all you think is “me me me” you might as well move to quebec sir.

Ted Durham

December 23rd, 2018

David,

you are way off base here. Keep you head into unions and nursing as that where it is. You haven’t a clue what it cost to run a truck. Nice stretch to call driving your truck in protest a political contribution. We know you are a staunch NDP’er. That is why any normal half intelligent person doesn’t didn’t read past the first two paragraphs in this article. Your party has given union workers a free ride in Alberta under your party and their lives are great. But then, what do you care about free enterprise? Enjoy your government pension and all the NDP is doing for you.

Danny Simms

December 23rd, 2018

The things is, and it is sad that most will never understand,unless you are apart of the Oilfield. We are ALL family! Brothers and sister! We bleed together, we take pride in a hard days work, and I do mean a day! As in 12 hrs or more. We may be a little less refined, a little rough around the edges, and we all are know to shoot from the hip now and again. But we are FAMILY! We help when its needed and we offer even if it’s not! As ” barbaric and crude” as we are often portrayed as we have learned a very simple lesson that most never do truly understand. Many hands do make for light work!

Was this mastermind of a plan conceived in some drak cigar Smoke Filled Room and painstakingly and methodically formulated for months in advance? HELL NO! We are just a bunch of dumb rednecks but we are FAMILY remember? We are here to help. We answered the call! When you pick a fight with my brother you pick a fight with me! With all of us…… with my family. Our blood, our sweat, our tears that what paid for this rally. Not some conservative conspiracy to raise awareness, we are all aware just how badly we are being treated. We didn’t raise an army. You woke one!

zalm

December 25th, 2018

Nice one, David. With all the Albertan truckers cannon-blasting fellow Albertans who had the audacity to complain about their 20-minute commute turning into a 2-hour ordeal without so much as even a parade permit or a distant early warning shot, it’s no wonder the industry that couldn’t shit straight can’t convince the rest of the country that their greatest need is a tax-sponsored straw to suck the economy out of the country.

I’d really like to help Albertans – I really would, being a power engineer myself – but with so many of them acting like mainlining junkies denied their fixes, I cCan’t figure out who needs the help more – the little fry who’ve been cut loose by a rapacious industry that thinks that only the biggest are allowed to survive, or the rest of Albertans who have to put up with their sense of entitlement and circus-clown logic.

Toot those horns, bigfellas! We can’t year you yet in Burnaby. Better still, c’mon down and block the Port Mann – stay for a week if you can. Can you make it here for Boxing Day? That’ll get the rest of the country behind you and really show Junior what’s what.

Don

December 26th, 2018

It was about raising awareness. No flipping cars over , no breaking windows. Just inconvenienceing some folks for awhile. A typical peaceful protest, that the left wing may want to emulate. By the way, who paid for all the protests in B.C. against the pipeline? You

Daryl Tkachuk

December 26th, 2018

I have seen many politicians at anti pipeline protests, were all those peoples time, wages, gas lodging and food at theses camps included as campaign contributions for the ndp and green parties? Along with all the contributions of tides and all other foundations? Seems like precedence was set, but we will gladly support changing laws and include all that as campaign contributions.

Bobbie

December 26th, 2018

Here’s a thought, could it be that these people in the Rallies and Convoys are taking on responsibility of making the Governments aware of their discontent all on their very own? I understand that it is a hard concept for the left to consider but it does happen without “funding”. A lot of people who appreciate our Resources, regulations, Democracy and Capitalism, Freedom of Speech etc. actually use their own heads to figure out a way to make a point through a peaceful protest.
How about considering this, the People heard that some of the Politicians were going to be in certain areas and reacted, OR could it be that most of the Rallies and Protests have been popping up on Saturdays all through the last Month or more and the Politicians decided to react, ALL without receiving any “funding”.
How ridiculous?

1) I wish you would subject your Quiet Abuse behavior to the same process of redaction that you subject others, but as a PTSD-sufferer whose trigger is Hypocrisy in the Face of Harm, I’ve long-noted the inability of the polluters to recognize what they’re putting out into the general environment.

2) “Usually, I imagine, professional truck drivers aren’t all that sympathetic if other groups of protesters get in the way of their travel. So turnabout is fair play. Let’s all stay calm and reasoned, truckers, when some other group blocks a road you need to drive down.”

Thank you for forty-six words of sensical, pro-democratic, language. I keep hoping you can maintain something meeting or exceeding this standard and you should be congratulated when you do.

Shawna

James Kohut

December 26th, 2018

The CANADA REVENUE AGENCY may have a say over these protests.

As far as I know the tax man does not allow for tax write-offs for fuel, mileage and wages for traffic blocking protests by companies as it is not related directly to business operations. Canadians collectively should not subsidize such traffic blocking protests that create economic harm for those who do not participate and, which do not follow the letter of the law. Any people breaking the (tax) laws in such protests should be held accountable with fines or what ever legal punishment there is.

Simply providing pictures of licence plates of company trucks in protests to the CRA, along with the date and time, would provide evidence for investigation purposes. The tax man can then have the opportunity to do audits on these companies to ensure compliance to the tax laws.

If an accredited accountant can prove that the above comment is wrong, please provide the legislation that suggests otherwise as I would appreciate that. Don’t forget to include the legislation section and subsection numbers.

Make way for protests that do not involve tax cheating or economic harm to others.

Bob Raynard

December 30th, 2018

This is a very valid point, James. In the comments above several truck drivers have mentioned being in the rally and have indignantly claimed they paid for their fuel themselves. I would love to know if they will then submit their receipt as a business expense, and as a result have the rest of us subsidize the inconvenience they caused. I certainly am not able to claim the expenses I incur when I travel to a protest.

I am sure the protest was cathartic for people suffering in the current economic situation, but I really don’t think anything was accomplished by inconveniencing people who are generally supportive to the concern. People who missed a flight, or a medical treatment are hardly going to be as supportive now.

Cory

Ivan Michel

January 13th, 2019

“Liberal government pushing this pipeline through” Really? And talking like the conservatives were not supportive of pipelines to tidewater? Who approved Enbridge Northern Gateway again? And more importantly, who reversed that approval? But back to Liberal support of that pipeline… so you call paying activist organizations government grants to protest Kinder Morgan’s Trans Mountain (ie. Dogwood), and then buying said pipeline only to do fuck all with it… supportive? Alrighty then. As for what purpose did truckers spend time, fuel, and money snarling up Edmonton traffic… sure made their voices and commitment apparent, eh? Enough so to drum up support for a convoy all the way straight to Parliament Hill…